Maude emery smith and emeby



June 7 1927.

A. H. SMITH SECTIONAL RAILROAD CAR Filed Sept. 13. 1922 grwentoz I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 attorney 1,631,164 June 7, 1927- H, SMITH SEOTIONAL RAILROAD CAR Filed Sept. 15. 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 2 WW ull \N June 7 1927.

' A. H. SMITH SECTIONAL RAILROAD CAR Filed Sept. 13, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @1101 neg Patented June 7, 1927.

3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED H. SMITH, or CHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK; MAUDE n vrnity SMITH "AN EMERY HOLLAND SMITH, nxnourons or ALFRED HOLLAND sMIrI-i, DECEASED, ASSIGNOBS 'ro THE LESS canto TION or DELAWARE.

AD LOTS COMPANY, or WILMINGTON, nnLAwAnn'A coRronA- SECIIONAL RAILROAD CAR.

Application filed September 13, 1922. Serial No. 587,982.

My invention relates to a railroad car adapted to transport freight containers of by the doors of. the compartments cannot be opened while the abutments are in elevated position, and whereby each abutment may be moved independently of theother abutments so that the door of one compare ment may be opened while the compartment is on the car without affecting the security of the doors of the other compartments.

My invention consists in arailroad car provided with a series of vertically extending posts disposed at regular intervals along each side of the car and rigidly secured to the car, in combination with a movable abutment secured between each pair of posts, with means for locking; said abutments against unauthorized movement, whereby the security of the containers is assured; my invention consists further of the parts and combination of. parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth. e In thedrawings: I

Figure 1 is a. :top plan view' of a section of a-railroad car embodying my invention with a plurality of containers disposed thereon,the containers andcar being broken away.

Figure 2 is aside elevation of Figure 1 withthe abutment in elevated position in front of the door of the container.

Figure 3v is a view similar to Figure 2 with the abutment in lowered position and the door free to be opened while the container is still on the car. i Figures 4 and 5 are detail views.

Figure 6 is a large detail vertical transverse section of the car with a container removed, the abutment being in elevated position.

Figure? isla View similar to Figure 6 with-the abutment in lowered position.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the lock mechanism for the abutment, a portion of a car being shown in dotted lines.

The reference numeral 1 designates a car of approved design having the side sills 2. This car is provided at predetermined intervals throughout its sides with vertically disposed posts 3 rigidly secured to the side the level of the car floor and extending between each pair of posts.

The abutment 1S bulll3 of apantograph order and comprises the arms b and 6 pivoted at 7. The lower end of the arm 6 of the abutment is secured to a suitable collar 8 mounted in the channelbeam. 4 while the upper end of the arm 5 is secured to a caste ing 9 fixed to the upperr'ail 10 of the abutment, the rail 10 of the abutment being of inverted channel iron shape and con stituting a beam or abutment. The opposite end of the arm 6 is pivotally mounted in a, sliding block 11, which block is slidably mounted within the upper rail 10, said block having a slot 12 to provide for the movement of the arm 6 as the abutment is raised and lowered. The lower end of the arm 5 is pivotally mounted in the block13, which block; is slidably mounted in the lower rail 4 of the abutment, the block 13 havinga slot 14 to provide for the move ment of the lever 5 as will be understood. These sliding blocks 11 and 13 are suitably secured in the channel bars or rails -11: and 10 against displacement. The ends of the upper rail 10 are so shaped that they have a Smooth sliding fit in the channels of the post 3' so that this rail. may slide freely, and without. binding upwardly and downwardly. and in order to provide for this upward. and downward movement I have mounted a screw 15 the upper end of which is provided 9 by means of the flanges 17, the fit of the head 16 in the casting being such that it may freely revolve therein. The lower end portion of the screw extends through the collar 8 and below the lower rail 4, as clearly shown in the several figures.

A screw ratchet 18 is mounted on the screw 15 below the lower rail 4 and is provided with a spacing collar 19 hearing on the under face of the rail 4, whereby in operating the screw ratchet in the proper direction the screw 15 is revolved and the upper rail or abutment 10 and the arms 5 and 6 may be elevated or lowered as may be desired. When turned in one direction the screw will pull the top rail lO down to the position shown in Figures 3 and 7 in which position it is at or below the floor line of the car, whereby the freight containers 19 back of the lowered abutment rail 10 may be slid or rolled off at the side of the car or the door 20 of the container may be opened for the removal of the contents of the container without impairing the security of the doors of the other containers.

The containers 19 are each provided with guide shoes 21, which engage guides 22, secured to the top rail 10 whereby the containers are held against shifting on the floor of the car.

In order to more securely hold the containers on the car against shifting, I provide the car with a series of gusset walls 23 extending transversely of the car and secured at their outer edge firmly to the posts 3. These gusset walls are more clearly illustrated in Figures (3 and 7. These walls are provided on each side with a vertically extending guide 2e the top of which is tapered toward the wall 23 to assistin positioning the container on the car. It will be readily seen that when the shoes 21 are in an engagement with the guides 22 and a container is positioned between the walls 23 that the container is securely held against longitudinal and transverse shifting and tilting on the car floor. 7

Many kinds of security locks may be provided to lock the screws 15 against movement but for the purpose of illustrating my invention I have elected to show an air lock which obtains its supply of air from the brake system of the car, and in the position shown in Figures 1 and. 2 and 6 the lock would be held in place with a strong spring indicated by the reference numeral 26 in the cylinder 27.

The mechanism of this air lock comprises the spring 26 and the cylinder 27 heretofore referred to, the rocker arm 28 which is connected to the rods 29. which rods 29 are in turn connected to a lever 30 of the bell crank order pivoted at 31 in the casting the side sill 2 of the car through which PI'OJGCtS an arm 32 terminating in an enlargement or disc like structure 33 which is adapted to swing under the lower end of the screw 15, as shown in Figures 2 and 6 where by the screw is held against downward vertical movement.

hen it is desired to gain access to the containers 19 'by lowering the top rail 10 and arms .5 and 6 the cut-out cock 3% in the air pipe 35 is opened, allowing free passage of air from the brake systemof the car in to the cylinder 27 with sufiicient pressure to compress the spring 26 and move the air lock, arm and disc 32 and 33 respectively to the position shown in Figure 7 whereupon. by operating the screw ratchet 18 the screw 15 with the rail 10 and arms 5 and 6 may be lowered to the position shown in Figure 3, whereupon the door of the container may be opened, or a container may be moved on rollers or skids off of the side of the car without the aid of a crane, the containers sliding out between the guides 24.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the detail of construction which I will elect to illustrate my invention without departing from the scope of the claims.-

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a support, a pluralit of containers positioned side by side thereon, a door in one of the vertical walls of each container, a plurality of independent members carried solely by the support, one for each container, and adapted to project above the floor of the support for locking the door of each container independently of the other doors when the containers stand on the support.

2. The combination with a support, containers positioned side by side thereon. a door in each container and a member carried solely by the support and adapted to be extended above the bottom of each door, whereby the door of each container is independently secured against unauthorized opening, independent of the doors of the other containers.

3. The combination with a support, of a plurality of containers mounted on said support, each container having a door in one of its vertical walls, means secured solely to the support for holding the containers on the support, each door being locked by an independent means carried solely by the support in front thereof preventing it being opened.

4. The'conibination with a support, of the plurality of containers each having a length approximately equal to the width of the support, said containersv being positioned side by side on the floor of the support, a

door for each of said containers, an inde- 32 secured to a suitable part of the under-,1 pendent abutment carried solely by the supl'rame of the car. A slot is formed through port for each container on the suppor 6X- ill) tending above the bottom of each door, whereby the door of each container is locked independently of the door of the other containers so long as the abutment is in position in front of the door.

5. In combination a support, a plurality of portable containers mounted on said support, a door in each of said containers, a means carried solely by said support adapted to lock the door of one Container independently ot the door of the other containers and conversely to unlock the door of one container without impairing the security of the doors of the other containers.

6. The combination with a support, a plurality of containers positioned side by side thereon, a door in one of the vertical walls of each container and a member adapted to be projected. above the floor of the support in front of each container for locking the door of each container independently when the containers are on the support.

7. The combination with a support, of containers positioned side by side thereon, a door in each container, and a plurality of independent members carried by the support and adapted to be projected above the bottom of each door, whereby each door is locked independently against surreptitious opening when the container is on the suport.

p 8. In combination with a support, a plurality of portable containers mounted on said support, a door in each of said containers, means associated with said support adapted to lock the door of one container independently'of the door of the other containers and conversely unlock the door of one container without impairing the security an air lock controlling said means.

9. The combination with a support, of a plurality of containers mounted on said support, each container having a door inone of its vertical walls, a barricade on the car adapted to extend across the doors of said containers, and an operative connection between said barricade and the air supply of the brake system of the car whereby the barricade is locked in position across the door.

10. The combination with a support, of a plurality of containers mounted on said support, each container having a door in one of its vertical walls, a series of barricades on the car, one for each container, adapted to extend across the door of a container, and an operative connection between said barricade and the air supply of the brake system of the car whereby the barricades are locked in position across the doors of said containers.

11. The combination with asupport, of a plurality of containers mounted on said support, each container having a door in one of its vertical Walls, a series of barricades on the car, one for each container, adapted to extend across the door of a container, and an operative connection between said barricade and the air supply of the brake system of the car whereby the barricades are locked in position across the doors of said containers, each barricade being adapted to be operated independently of the other barricades.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALFRED H. SMITH.

of the doors of the other containers, and 40 

